Trending Now - Sierra Leone Welcomes Nine US Deportees Amid New Agreement
WHO:
ABC News - Nine migrants deported from the United States.
ABC News - Five migrants from Ghana, two from Guinea, one from Senegal, and one from Nigeria.
ABC News - Timothy Kabba, Sierra Leone’s foreign minister.
ABC News - Alma David, an immigration lawyer with the U.S.-based Novo Legal Group.
ABC News - Kenvah Solutions, a private contractor hired to handle the deportees.
WHAT:
ABC News - The ministry of information stated that 24 deportees were initially expected to arrive in Sierra Leone.
ABC News - Kenvah Solutions informed that the migrants would only be allowed to stay at their facilities for two weeks before being sent to their home countries.
ABC News - Nine migrants deported from the United States landed in Sierra Leone.
ABC News - The program is capped at 25 deportees per month and 300 per year.
ABC News - Deportees are expected to be sent home or transferred within 14 days, or up to 30 days in exceptional cases.
ABC News - A federal judge halted a woman's deportation to Sierra Leone.
ABC News - The U.S. government provided a $1.5 million grant to support the agreement.
WHERE:
ABC News - Sierra Leone.
ABC News - The migrants were checked into hosting facilities in Sierra Leone.
WHEN:
ABC News - The nine migrants landed in Sierra Leone on Wednesday.
ABC News - The ministry of information stated that deportees are expected to be sent home or transferred within 14 days.
WHY:
ABC News - The U.S. has struck third-country deportation deals with at least eight other African nations, including Congo, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eswatini, Ghana, and Cameroon.
ABC News - The agreement allows Sierra Leone to temporarily receive migrants deported by the Trump administration, specifically accepting West African nationals.
ABC News - The deals have raised questions about respect for the migrants’ rights.
HOW:
ABC News - Some countries have received millions of dollars in return for accepting deportees, according to documents released by the State Department.
ABC News - Kenvah Solutions was hired to handle the deportees' housing, food, and healthcare.
ABC News - The U.S. has struck third-country deportation deals with at least eight other African nations.
(UPDATED May 21, 2026 10:11 UTC)
The ministry of information has announced that 24 deportees are expected to arrive in Sierra Leone, but Kenvah Solutions has indicated that these migrants will only be allowed to stay at their facilities for two weeks before being sent back to their home countries. This move is part of a broader strategy, as the U.S. has established third-country deportation deals with at least eight African nations, including Congo, Rwanda, and Ghana. Documents from the State Department reveal that some of these countries have received millions of dollars in exchange for accepting deportees.
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(UPDATED May 20, 2026 23:24 UTC)
Nine migrants deported from the United States have landed in Sierra Leone, including five from Ghana, two from Guinea, one from Senegal, and one from Nigeria. This operation is part of an agreement that allows Sierra Leone to temporarily accept migrants deported by Trump, with a cap of 25 deportees per month and 300 per year, while Kenvah Solutions has been hired to manage their housing, food, and healthcare. The U.S. government has also provided a $1.5 million grant to support this initiative, although concerns about the migrants' rights have been raised.